Valentine Food--Kid Approved!

So I have never been the lovey dovey--romanticize Valentine's Day person. I highly dislike the color pink and don't like all the mushy stuff. But, I have always celebrated Valentine's Day in some form. Growing up, my mom would put candy hearts on our beds. It was always a fun treat for when I got home from school. In College, I celebrated S.A.D. Single Awareness Day. haha. My roommates and I would always make it super fun. We went out to dinner, watched a movie, and just had fun. Now that I am a wife and mommy--I prefer the family celebration version. Like I said I don't like the mushy romantic type of day. It is nothing more than a celebration of love day and well I love my entire little family. So we celebrate it together.

Here are some fun ideas that your kids will approve of--and help make:

Heart Quesadillas. Well, you really can make heart anything. I love having cookie cutters for every season and holiday. It makes it that much more fun for your kids. Johnathan had a fun time cutting hearts into the tortillas and coming up with different designs. Simply grab your tortillas, your favorite cheese, different size hearts and make some yummy, cheesy quesadillas.

Cupid's Arrow Hot Dogs. Simply cook your hot dogs. Cut at an angle. Place together to make a heart. Use a toothpick to keep them together. Cut out arrow shapes from cheese and stick to the end of the toothpicks. We served ours with mac and cheese and veggies. To make it even more fun--cut your veggies into heart shapes. 

This can also make a for a yummy Valentine's Day breakfast. Switch the hot dogs out for breakfast sausages. YUM! 

Valentine Cake Pops. Mine are not the most beautiful cake pops, but Johnathan had fun putting m&m's and red hots on them.This is a fun treat for your kid to make and eat. I mixed crumbled cake and cream cheese frosting together. Make sure it is not to dry--add enough frosting. Do not add too much frosting where there is more frosting than cake. Just mix until moist. Roll into balls and put a skewer or cake pop stick  Place on a wax covered cookie sheet and stick in freezer for up 30-60 minutes. Melt chocolate--your choice. I used Ghirardelli melting wafers. Dip cake pops into chocolate and decorate fast as the chocolate will be quick to harden. If you let the cake pops sit out for a bit, then they will not be as cold to make the chocolate harden as fast. Enjoy!

 Heart Shape or Valentine Rice Krispies. For a yummy, gooey recipe check out this one http://midwesternmoms.com/the-best-rice-krispie-treat-recipe-ever/  .
Simply cut the Rice Krispies into hearts or leave as is with red and or pink m&m's. You can even add some sprinkles too! You can also spray inside a funnel, press Rice Krispies into it to make the shape look like a giant kiss. It is fun to wrap it in foil with some XOXO strips hanging out the top.

 Your kids will love these yummy themed treats and will love making them too! 

My Valentines! 

The Day It Snowed--Gingerbread Cookies

This week has been pretty cold for us in South Texas, but the weather should be going back up this weekend.
Yesterday/today I decided to spend some fun, quality time with Johnathan (more than the usual). We made gingerbread cookies and read Christmas books together while eating animal crackers (the Costco brand because they are the best!) We ended out day by playing in the snow. . . you heard be correctly--THE SNOW!

 I don't remember when the last time is snowed here. But when the snow started coming down, I had flashback memories of us waiting to hear on the news if our school was cancelled for the day or if it was going to be a half day.

There is something different about snow in South Texas--it's magical. When it snows in Texas, the whole world hears about it in a matter of how fast you can post it to social media. Every Texan (practically) is out playing in the snow for the time. It is a moment that everybody wants to take in and enjoy because the snow will be gone before the day is done. That is how I like my snow--gone before the day is done. Haha. So for the small amount of time--we will all take in the magic of snow.

 I remember the first snow fall up at BYU-Idaho my first semester. I called and woke up my parents at midnight (when it started to snow) and told them. I was just in awe. haha. I remember the next day I looked at my roommate and said, "what do you mean we have school?" I guess if they cancel school in Idaho, they would hardly have school at all. Of course, I knew this and was only joking with my question.

The other fond memory of snow I have is those cold winter nights walking the cobble stone streets in Germany. Nobody was out, and the snow was a reflection of the peaceful silence. It was beautiful.

 So we started the day Christmas baking and had some snow to end it with.

 We woke up the snow on the ground and finished baking out gingerbread cookies. Now as I am typing this, the snow is practically gone. But, we will always remember the magic it brought to remind us to take in the moments of laughter and fun. 

Now go make you some gingerbread cookies:

Cookie Notes: 

*This recipe makes a lot of cookies! These are some of my favorite cookies since I was a child. 

*Combine the first four ingredients--sugar, molasses, oil (or I used apple sauce), and hot water.

*It says to rinse the molasses cup with hot water (for cleaning)--I usually will spray the cup with cooking spray before pouring the molasses in. It will slide right out and make clean up so much easier

*I like to spray my counter top with cooking spray to roll out these cookies instead of flour. 

Turkey Inspirations

Do you need some inspirations for Thanksgiving?

These are not perfect, but here are some fun ideas I have done over the past couple of years:

Rice Krispie Turkey
-Rice Krispies
-Candy Corn
-Melted Chocolate
-Reese's Pieces
-Smarties

Cookie/Candy Turkey

-Oreos 

-Reeses (cut at the bottom) 

-Candy Corn

-Whoppers 

-Melted Chocolate or Icing 

Cheese Ball Turkey 

-Cheese ball (homemade or store bought) 

-Stick Pretzels 

-Frosting or Melted Chocolate 

-Candy Corn 

Get creative, have fun! 

Pumpkins, Witches, Ghosts Sugar Cookies! Oh My!

I get so giddy this time of year as it is my favorite. I know I have said this all month long, but Halloween is by far the best holiday! I love it so much more getting to be a mommy and share all my excitement with Johnathan.

We continue doing holiday fun at our house and will continue into the weekend as we get to dress up on Saturday for a Trunk & Treat activity. 

Guess what we are all going as??? Well, you will have to wait to see :-) 

Have fun making these Halloween sugar cookies in the meantime! 

So dig out those Halloween cookie cutters and go to town! 

 The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

1 ½ C. Butter (softened)	In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill dough for at least one hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6 to 8 minutes. Cool Completely.
2 C. White Sugar
4 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
5 C. Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt

Pumpkin Alfredo and Meatballs w/ a Festive Treat

For those needing a perfect Fall meal, here it is!

Pumpkin Alfredo

• 1 pound fettuccine pasta (reserve 1 cup of pasta water) 
• 6 tablespoons butter 
• 2 cloves garlic minced 
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling) 
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 2/3 cup half & half 
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley 

1) Bring a stockpot of water to a boil over high heat. Add teaspoon of salt to the boiling water, then add fettuccine. Cook until all done (check package instructions). 

2) Meanwhile, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in garlic and cook for about a minute, careful not to burn. Stir in half & half, Parmesan, pumpkin and nutmeg. Stir until sauce is heated through and cheese is melted. Stir in pasta water, about 1/4 cup at a time, until sauce is desired consistency (I used about 1/2 cup, and it was thick and creamy. For a thinner sauce, use more water). 

3) Add pasta and cook over medium-high heat until sauce is smooth and pasta is well coated; about 1-2 minutes. 

4) Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and fresh grated Parmesan, if desired. 

*We served with BBQ meatballs we cooked in the crock pot. 

Candy Corn Fruit Cups

• Clear plastic cups 
• Mandarin oranges 
• Pineapple 
• Whip Cream 

1) Layer pineapple, mandarin oranges, and whip cream. Same order as you see a candy corn. 

2) Enjoy!